Hardships
by Elphaba.is.my.hero
Summary: I knew my works were alright but not perfect. Suddenly I stop playing, and placed the lid over the keys and piano. I was almost sitting at attention as I sat in my little haven. A TroyXKelsi Story R
1. Chapter 1

~Author's Note- 2nd HSM story, please R&R.

Thanks, Elphaba

* * *

Sweet soft sound of the piano entered my ears. The piece I composed was for the spring musical. The music of the piano was the only thing that filled the practice room I was in. A long sigh escaped my lips.

"Jeez…" I knew my works were alright but not perfect. Suddenly I stop playing, and placed the lid over the keys and piano. I was almost sitting at attention as I sat in my little haven. Coarse dismissal bells filled the room seconds later, interrupting the silence. Hoping off of the bench, I was extremely careful hopping I wouldn't bruise myself. It was two months ago today, I was diagnosed with Leukemia. Only one person knew here at East High, and that was Mrs. Darbus. Again I sighed, this time it was opening door to the jungle of East High's hallways. I started walking to my locker and a male voice called me.

"Hey, hey. Kelsi, Kelsi!" The playmaker of basketball, Troy Bolton broke my out of my daze.

"Oh hi." I was shocked that he wanted to talk to me. After all his friends were a foot or two away. Yet my voice lacked the luster his did. Since last spring, I haven't been able to look at him straight in the eye, because of the crush that I developed for him. My eyes started looking at the ground as if I lost something.

"What's up, the music maker?" Troy looked at me with a look of actually knowing and caring, a look that I wasn't use to.

"Nothing" I quickly responded, I mentally scolded myself. I adjusted my backpack uncomfortably, waiting for something else to be said. Suddenly a cell phone rang, everyone scrambled to see if it was their phone, it was Troy's.

"Oh, crap! Kelsi can I call you later?" He didn't wait for my answer, Troy ran to the gym for some odd reason. After the little moment I just wanted to get home. I walked down the steps that connected the Upper Upperclassman lockers to the rest of the school. My mind was everywhere, up down until Gabi called me.

"Kelsi!" Gabi exclaimed, she had the biggest grin on her face. "How are you?" She gave me a smile. I was a bit hesitant to answer her, I didn't want to lie to her.

"Ok…" I replied with some hard feelings in voice. I hope I convinced her that everything was actually fine. "How are you girl?" I tried to sound happy or a least excited. Gabi gave me this huge grin.

"Today is Ryan and I's one year!" She was practically jumping for joy. I forced my self to smile for her. I was happy for her, truly I was.

"Thats awesome! But I need to get, so I'll talk to you later." I started back onto my walk to my car. The pain quacks of the chemo were starting to get to me. Within my car, were my pain medications which were very necessary for function. Minutes later, I reached the safety of my Dodge Neon, I placed myself in the passenger's seat so I could get my pills out of my glove compartment. I grabbed the clear blue pill bottle out of the compartment, and placed the two small white pills on my tongue.

"Imagine all the people/ Living living life in peace/ Yu-yuah-"

I scrambled for my cell phone that was in my pocket. I glanced down at the caller ID, it was Troy.

"Ummm, Hello." I was rather shocked that he call me so soon.

"Hey, Kels. What was wrong today?" Troy's tone sound like he was rather worried about me. I was shocked that he cared enough to actually call me. I sat silent in my car. Again Troy repeated his question."Kels, are you ok?"

My head started to hang low, I didn't know what to tell him. A part of of me wanted to pour everything out, yet I knew I couldn't. "Oh just, some busing from getting on the stage." I held my breath, and hoped he actually believed me.

"Oh well- be careful getting off the stage. That is _why_ there's stairs-." Troy spoke with a small laugh. I glanced at the time on my phone, it read 3:20. I have to be home before 3:30.

"Troy call me back in five, please. Thanks" I quickly pushed the red end call button. I moved to the driver's seat, and quickly drove home.


	2. At Home

A few minutes later I turned into my long curvy driveway. My house has became chaotic since my diagnoses. My parents are usually crying when I arrive home. They sob and tell me how much they love me. Honestly I was starting to get annoyed with it. I carefully parked behind the left garage in the driveway. I opened up my garage, and reached back in my seat and picked up my folders and my works. Yet I was careful when I did it, I didn't want to bruise myself. Thin white figures opened my door, slowly I slid out of the Neon. Getting up, I hoped not to fall on my ass. All my things were tucked under my arm. Trudging into the garage, I noticed both cars were here.

'_Great..they're both home.' _ I truly do love my parents, but lately they were getting too much for me. I walked right into the garage. Then I placed my things on the deep freezer, and then I close the garage and locked my car. As I entered the house, I shouted to my parents.

"Hey! I'm home!" Silently I hope they didn't hear me, so they didn't cover me in love. Sometimes I hated coming home, because of the treatment later that usually happened later when I came home. I took three steps and my mother greeted me.

"Hey, Sweetie." My mother greeted me with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Mom." Walking over to the kitchen isle I placed all of my folders and such on top of it. "When is my next-?" My phone was going off,

"_Imagine all the people/ Living life today/ Yu- yuh.."_

For the second time today I glanced down at my caller ID, it was Troy. I could feel my cheeks becoming red.

"Hey Troy." This time, I couldn't void his questions. Yet I tried to act cool and well...normal.

"Kelsi, what's honestly wrong?" Troy seem very worried now. I really don't want anyone to tell him. My voice started to shake.

"It's no-t-hi-ng, Tr-o-y." I was so ashamed of myself, but I didn't want people to be weird about me.

"Kelsi..." His voice seemed so cool and calming, yet he knew something was wrong. Troy's voice soften even more.

"Tr-oy, pl-e-ase!" Still my weak voice was shaking, my body was starting to shake. Something came over me, and I pulled the phone from my ear and hung up on Troy. God, what I did was wrong but, I didn't want to buckle and tel him. Tears started to form and fall from my face. I know Troy, is worried about me. My darling mother's voice came from the office.

"Hun, you have a treatment today!" A fresh set of tears fell from my eyes. My mother walked out of the office to see me wiping a fresh set of tears away. "Shhh, it's going to be alright honey." Mom wrapped her arms around me like I was a small child. "Your strong, you can fight this. Come on, now." Yet it was brief. Mom got up and went to the dinning room getting her purse.

"Mom, is it going to be ok?" My voice started to tremble a bit. Mom didn't answer me, I got up from the chair and picked my IPod from the office, as it was charging. My music was an escape from this pain, or at least for the moment. Walking to the van, I fiddled with my IPod to figure out what I was going to listen to. I was torn between the old but decent Backstreet Boys or some Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I chose the RJA, it seemed more better for what I was feeling. The voice of the lead singer filled the speakers,

_Hey girl you know you drive me crazy  
one look puts the rhythm in my head  
still I'll never understand why you hang around  
I see what's goin down  
Cover up with makeup in the mirror  
tell yourself it's never gonna happen again  
you cry alone and then he swears he loves you_

The drive to the hospital, (Albuquerque General) was eerie, with my mom not playing any music like she normally does. Today, I was having my second treatment. My phone rang once freakin' again.

"_Imagine all the people/ Living life today/ Yu- yuh.."_

Guess what! It was Troy again. I picked my phone.

"Troy, I'm really busy. I have to go." I ended the call, yet I was a bit more rude then the first time. I know he's trying to help, but damn. My mother mouthed to me.

'_What's wrong?'_

"Nothing."


	3. The Treatment

I gazed at large bay windows that greeted my brown eyes, as I looked the hospital. I got out of the van, a bit reluctantly. My mother also joined me. She glanced at me and gave me a weak grin. We both walked a few steps and were met with the two sliding door.

'_So, this place is suppose to help me? Ha, this far I've just had to hide a secret.' _My feet dragged me, while my mind was screaming this. I wasn't paying attention, and I ran into my mom.

"Sorry mom." My eyes looked down, I was slightly embarrassed. "I'll go find some seats." Mom was checking me with the elderly receptionist who was working. I chose a spot close to the television that was probably suppose to distract the patients. Various families were scatterer around the festive colorful room. The sounds of the "_Today"_ show filled the room overpowering the slight whispers of the children. Mom came to sit by be, to the right of her was a PEOPLE magazine, Mom grabbed that and looked within it. I still had my IPOD playing, I didn't realize it until,

"_Lord almighty,  
I feel my temperature rising  
Higher higher  
Its burning through to my soul_

Girl, girl, girl  
You gonna set me on fire  
My brain is flaming  
I don't know which way to go".

Elvis's sweet voice entered by ears. I smiled, honestly forgot I had Elvis on my IPOD. Mom looked over at me, she was amazed I was so happy. I turned off the music, and place it within my pockets. Again the depression struck me. I didn't want to be here.

"Kelsi Nielsen" A Thirty-something nurse called my name. I almost instantaneously got out of my seat at the calling of my name. I followed her to a hospital-like room with a blue dotted white gown lying on the bed. "I'm your nurse for this little adventure, miss can you please put on the gown on the bed." The nurse left the room, I started to get undress this room was too cold. It took me a few moments to get into the gown. The nurse entered the room with various needles for something.

"Kelsi, we're going to have to place an IV." The nurse stepped closer to me, I want to curl in a ball and just about die. But I had to bear it, I guess it's just a part of getting better. The nurse did her thing. My eyes were closed tight. I utterly hated needles. "Ok we're done." I opened my eyes again. I took off my glasses and my class ring. I started a song in my head, it was from Spring Awakening..

'_It's the bitch of living  
(Bitch, just a bitch)  
With nothing but your hand  
(Just a bitch, yeah)  
Just the bitch of living  
As someone you can't stand'_

I closed my eyes before I was wheeled into the treatment area. I didn't care what was going on, as long as I got better.

A couple of hours later, I woke up from the drug induced sleep. My body rolled to the side, and I threw up EVERYWHERE. I felt ashamed.

"I'm sorry." I said to everyone in the room. My voice seemed weak and more soft then normal. My glasses and ring were on the table, I slid the ring back on. I felt almost naked without the metal on my finger. My mom placed her hand on top of mine. It sounded like she was crying.

"It's quite alright Kelsi." From what I could see, she had a smile on her face. "I'm just glad your alright. Your my angel." I was shocked, mom hasn't said that since about Kindergarten. I grimaced in pain, in my in my left hand. I looked to my left, the damn nurse took the IV.

"You could have at least told me." I barked at the nurse. I knew she was trying to help me, but just yanking an IV out didn't feel so pleasant. I was in the room for about two more hours, until I stopped throwing up and became more stable. Two nurse, the one I had before and this about 40 something white haired nurse placed me within a wheelchair so I could be taken home. My next treatment was next month.

'_Oh joyous..' _I thought I was taken to the car. I was told to drink lots of water and be hydrated. Oh yeah, and not to eat after the nausea that I had. My two nurses kept me at the entrance of the center before my mom brought the van over to me. Very careful the both of them placed me within the front seat. After that, we were on our trip home.


End file.
